Stone Circle the ocean said: i thirst from long ago

So much has changed within Easthollow, it hardly feels like home some days — or maybe it's just her. The influx of new members has sent Keen more or less into hiding; she avoids everyone, with the exception of @Merrit and @Arlette. She spends much of her time in the forest, trying to refine her hunting skills on her own. Sometimes she thinks of asking mom for help — but mom seems busy lately, a thought that crosses her mind with no small amount of derision. So she tries to learn by herself as best as she can.
Today she's left the safety of her usual haunts in favor of a more heavy-traffic area in the territory, struck by an odd but increasingly familiar feeling: loneliness. It only comes to her in waves, and most of the time she's good at ignoring it, she thinks, but... it's just a little different today. Like the loneliness has finally eaten its way to her core, and now she feels cold and exposed and very very empty inside. She can't help but resent the aching feeling, knowing the only solution will likely make her look and feel stupid. It always does. Yet her paws still carry her toward the center of the territory, ever a slave to her most basic needs; she can't help but wish they didn't exist at all, or that she didn't exist at all. Anything would be better, really.

As the sun warmed the spots on his fur where it filtered light cut through the tree tops, Greyback looked outwards into the dense trees. Winter was in full blast, and while everything had been dying, the lush forest more or less remained the same. The only thing that changed was the presence of another — Keen. 

The girl had always been elusive since her birth, hiding away and slightly harder to find than her siblings, Merrit and Arlette. He watched silently, looking at her with a piercing gaze for a bit before moving inwards. Gentle, slowly, he made his way to her— his towering frame and size much taller and larger than hers, his shadow casting over her.

His large paws left light dents in the cold earth as he stepped forwards, but still kept a bit of a distance between the girl and himself. "Keen," he called, softly. He didn't know how she would react to him, they were very much strangers despite being packmates. "How are you today, young one?"

Despite her intense desire for company, hearing her name spoken in unfamiliar tones sends a bolt of icy panic through her. She freezes for several moments, pulse already picking up as she imagines the way this will go. She'll try to speak and she'll stutter and make a fool of herself, and then the breath will leave her and her chest will get tight and she'll sink into the ground, never to be —
She sucks in a sharp, cold breath and turns slowly, eyes widening at the sight of the towering wolf. She's never seen a wolf so big before. She sucks in a breath, struggling to calm her racing heart and recall what the male had said to her. He'd asked her something, hadn't he? His words had been a jumble at the time, and now she finds herself able to do little more than blink at him. She doesn't know what he said, and she's far too petrified to ask.

Immediately seeing the small body go rigid and still with fear, Greyback dropped his tail and lowered his head. He could only guess it was his height, most everyone had at least been surprised of fearful of him due to such a thing. He felt something cold in his stomach, and immediately sucked in a breath before pushing it outwards with a smile. He didn't like when people judged him on looks, but Keen was a child. A whelp. He couldn't hold that against her.

He watched her blink for a bit his gaze still, but after no response he repeated it again "How are you, young one? Theres no need to be afraid." He didn't move any closer, not wanting her to bolt away like a scared rabbit. He instead, slowly sat down and pushed back his ears to seem smaller. "I'm Greyback— I knew you from when you were a small thing inside your mothers belly."